Wood, Metal and Brass: Symbols of Transformation

Oyekuwori

alagogo oje, owner of the lead bell

Little by little is the work of Isan, dripping

Last year, you beat the bell of wood

This year, you are beating the bell of metal

Next year, you will beat the bell of brass

Don't you know it is little by little that Isan moves?

- Holy Odu OyekuIwori

Spiritual development adheres to natural laws of growth and progression. Anyone who hopes to enjoy the beauty, the power and the wisdom of Orisa Lifestyle must submit himself to the natural sequence of personal transformation, expressed in the verse above as the transition from wood to lead to brass. As a result, leaders of spiritual communities are charged with creating an environment that supports the natural order. Stated differently, social order - man made laws, rules and regulations - can either reinforce or contradict the rules of nature and the cosmos.

Ifa teaches us, bit by bit we eat the head of the rat; bit by bit we eat the head of the elephant. Likewise, Ifa goes on to teach us, one by one we eat walnuts; one by one we eat groundnuts. These proverbial insights reinforce the necessity to do things methodically and deliberately. Consider, for example, that you cannot build a family overnight. In order to be an elder, who is surrounded by your children, grand children and relatives, you must cultivate a multitude of meaningful relationships, decade after decade after decade.

Consider the teachings of Orunmila in the Holy Odu OfunOdi, which says;

Ladder supports your body with the ground

It props-up your frame with the land

A wasp stings with its butt

Cast divination for Oduduwa Oluwaami Aterigbeji

Who was asked to offer 22,000 cowries

So that he may own the children in the world

Oduduwa heard about the offering and performed it

The world exclaimed: well done

The children of Oduduwa

- Holy Odu OfunOdi

The whole of Yoruba civilization is organized around the leadership of Oduduwa, who is credited with establishing the 16 original kingdoms, each with its own infrastructure and systems of governance. Ultimately, we know that kingdoms like Ife, Oyo, Osogbo and Ketu were not built in a single day. They were founded and developed bit by bit, one family lineage at a time.

The greatness of a nation begins in its homes. Well established homes required balanced individuals. Living the medicine means crafting a personal priesthood that encourages your ability to transition from one stage of development to the next, always increasing your ability to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of the people you are destined to serve.

Aboru aboye abosise